Winamac Park Board members say they’re close to
accomplishing many of the goals set out for them when the current board was
established in 2016. Board President Jon Chapman reviewed the park board’s
current five-year plan during last week’s meeting.

Attracting more visitors to the Winamac Town
Park is the goal of
several ideas presented to the town’s park board last week. Town Council Member
Dave Schambers said he’d seen pictures of a beach that existed decades ago in
the park and wondered if that might be a cheaper alternative to building a new
swimming pool.

Money raised for the Winamac pool
project will not be released to the town until the end of next year.
Almost $150,000 has been raised for the effort, but the Winamac Town
Council and Park Board have both decided to stop pursuing the
project, mainly due to concerns that the town wouldn’t be able to
afford the cost of running a pool.

Winamac’s pool project was officially
put to rest by the town’s park board Thursday. Members voted to stop
pursuing the pool project and focus on a splash pad instead. Board
member and town manager Brad Zellers abstained from the vote. This
follows similar action by the town council last month.

The Winamac Park Board is waiting for
some direction from the town council before working on an application
for this year’s round of federal grant funding. During Thursday’s
meeting, Park Board Member Pat Bawcum suggested writing a grant for a
splash pad, if the town council decides not to move forward with a
swimming pool project.

Concerns about the condition of the parking lot at the Community Wellness Center of Winamac and who’s responsible for maintaining it are being raised by the town’s park board president.

“I have never seen a more atrocious parking lot in my life, as that I see up there where the pool was at the Wellness Center right now,” Park Board President Courtney Poor said during last week’s meeting. “And I am telling you that I will be going to the board meeting on the 14th and getting myself on the agenda, to tell the town board exactly that, as a concerned citizen.”

The Winamac Park Board reiterated Thursday that it will not apply for a grant for the town’s swimming pool project this year. The town has put the project on hold, due to concerns that money wouldn’t be available to run the pool if it’s built. The Winamac Pool Committee has proposed a cheaper option, but so far, it hasn’t gotten the official support of the town council.

The Winamac Eagles club will formally present a donation for playground equipment to the town’s park board tonight. Several community groups have offered to chip in, to help replace the equipment in the Town Park’s toddler playground.

Winamac residents will have a chance to weigh in on the town’s application for grant funds for park upgrades. The town’s park board plans to apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant to help pay for new restrooms and new equipment for the toddler playground in the Town Park. The park board has money available for both projects from donations, but the grant would allow the town to buy even more playground equipment, while saving some of the Park Gift Fund for future projects.

Upgrades to the Winamac Town Park’s restrooms and toddler playground may get some financial support from this year’s round of Land and Water Conservation Fund grants. Last year, the town’s park board applied for $200,000 for its swimming pool rebuilding project. It wasn’t selected, but officials with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources say it would have a good chance this year, according to park board member Pat Bawcum. The problem is that the town has decided not to pursue the project for the time-being, due to concerns that money wouldn’t be available to operate the pool if it’s built.

The Community Foundation of Pulaski County plans to continue working with the Winamac Park Board on the town’s swimming pool rebuilding project. The foundation’s board of directors got an update last month from Park Board President Courtney Poor, along with town council and pool committee member Judy Heater.

Pulaski County stands to lose several million dollars in income tax revenues over the coming decades, due to declining population. That’s according to Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer. He presented some rough estimates to the county council last week. Continue reading →

How to continue with Winamac’s swimming pool rebuilding effort without the town’s financial support will be the topic of two meetings this month. The Winamac Pool Committee will hold an informational meeting for the public next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Pulaski County Public Library in Winamac.

What to do with $135,000 raised for Winamac’s swimming pool rebuilding project is expected to be discussed during tonight’s Winamac Park Board meeting. That money was raised through private donations and fundraisers, and placed in a fund at the Community Foundation of Pulaski County. But now that the town has pulled its official support of the project, the park board has to decide what its next steps will be.

The Winamac Pool Committee continues to raise money for the town’s swimming pool rebuilding project, but confusion remains about how exactly the project will proceed. A fish fry fundraiser is taking place this evening from 4:00 to 7:00 at the Winamac VFW. The need for private fundraising has increased in recent weeks, after the Town of Winamac pulled its official support.

Pulaski County may be looking to state lawmakers to help make up a shortfall in local income tax revenues. The issue was brought to the attention of the county council last month, after Winamac officials noticed a sudden drop in the town’s share of Local Levy Freeze Income Tax funds. Pulaski County communities are now facing big holes in their 2018 budgets.